Governor Mark Dayton and Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt continue their standoff over REAL ID. Daudt says because Dayton stated the governor does not have authority to allow illegal immigrants to get drivers licenses, there should be no problem including that “comfort language” in the bill. Daudt says, “There will not be a bill that goes out of the House and Senate without language that prohibits him from doing it from rulemaking, and I’m gonna hold him to the words that he used last week. If that’s his belief, that’s the bill he’s gonna get.”
Dayton says Republicans think immigrant drivers licenses is a good issue for their voting base, particularly in Greater Minnesota and so “they don’t want to let it go.” Dayton says undocumented immigrants should be able to get drivers licenses in Minnesota — but adds he’ll have to sign a REAL ID bill of some sort, or Minnesotans won’t be able to use their drivers licenses to board commercial flights.